MOSCOW, February 28 /TASS/. All the rescuers who have died at the Severnaya mine in Vorkuta, Russia’s Komi Republic, will posthumously receive state awards, the Russian Emergencies Ministry press service told TASS.

"Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov issued an order to single out all the mine rescuers who have died or received injuries for state awards," the ministry’s representative said.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry has confirmed the death of 6 people in a repeated blast at the Severnaya mine in Vorkuta early on Sunday.

Seventy-seven people, including 38 rescuers and 38 mine employees, were underground at the time of the blast, the ministry’s press service told TASS.

"According to clarified reports, six people died. Five of them are rescuers of the Pechora paramilitary mine rescue squad of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations. One person is a [Severnaya] mine employee," the ministry added.

Another five people were injured. "All of them are on the surface. The Severnaya mine’s doctors are examining them," the Russian Emergencies Ministry clarified.